Portend

Pronunciation: /pɔrˈtɛnd/

Definitions of portend

verb to serve as a warning or indication of a future event

Example Sentences

A1 The dark clouds portend rain.

A2 His sudden departure portended trouble.

B1 The sudden drop in stock prices may portend an economic downturn.

B2 The strange behavior of the animals may portend an impending earthquake.

C1 The new government policies portend significant changes in the healthcare system.

C2 The unusual behavior of the CEO portended a major company restructuring.

Examples of portend in a Sentence

formal The dark clouds gathering in the sky portend a storm approaching.

informal I have a bad feeling about this, it seems to portend something negative.

slang The sudden drop in sales numbers portend trouble for the company.

figurative The sudden appearance of a black cat crossing your path is said to portend bad luck.

Grammatical Forms of portend

• past tense: portended
• plural: portends
• comparative: more portent
• superlative: most portent
• present tense: portend
• future tense: will portend
• perfect tense: have portended
• continuous tense: is portending
• singular: portends
• positive degree: portend
• infinitive: to portend
• gerund: portending
• participle: portending

Origin and Evolution of portend

First Known Use: 1500 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'portend' originated from the Latin word 'portendere', which means to predict or foretell.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'portend' has evolved to refer to something that serves as a sign or warning of a future event, rather than just predicting or foretelling it.